Give back and recycle your CTG clothes with us!
As a Community clothing brand, we know it is not enough for us to care only about how are products are made and from what materials. That is only the creation story.
Have you ever thought about what happens to our conversation starters once they go out in the world? We have, a lot!!
Here at Clothing The Gaps, something has been on our minds for a while now…what happens to our merch with a message once it’s been worn to every Community event, rally, café, office, is covered in coffee stains, and has finally reached the end of its life?
Or what if you've just not been gravitating towards that conversation starter in your wardrobe and you're ready for it to have a new home so it can keep sparking conversations?
We wanted to create a solution for these questions and we're really excited to share what we've been working on and we are crossing our fingers that you are onboard with this idea too!
But first, why do we care?
At Clothing The Gaps, circular fashion isn't just a trend—it’s about caring for Country and our Community. So it was a no brainer for us to add our voice to the Seamless Clothing Stewardship Scheme to work towards clothing circularity by 2030.
There are so many great brands doing amazing things in circularity and we are keen to work together to contribute to the solutions against clothing and textile waste in Australia.
First Nations people have a deep connection to the land, and sustainability is part of that relationship. By extending the life of our merch, or recycling it responsibly, we can help reduce waste and protect Country from the harmful impacts of landfill.
According to the Australian Fashion Council, in 2018-2019, Australians bought 383,000 tonnes of new clothing which is around 56 items per person over the year. The re-sale market (golly do we love an op shop!) is overwhelmed with clothes that are actually not fit to be sold, making clothing one of the largest contributors to Australia’s waste problem.
We are the custodians of our clothes, so we feel we must take responsibility for its whole lifecycle: from concept and design to manufacturing and dispatch, right through to the end of the line when it’s no longer needed or fit for purpose. We see this as holistic care for the merch we create but, we can't do it alone!
The last place we all want to see is Clothing The Gap's pieces adding to the more than 200,000 tonnes of clothing that ends up in landfill every year and contributing to damaging Country.
We know that we need to implement new processes to do better for Community and Country. Thinking holistically about our actions as a business and a brand is important to us and by embracing circularity, we also uphold the value of intergenerational responsibility, ensuring that our choices today contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future for generations to come.
So, we’ve come up with a simple plan so together we can do our bit to stop our merch ending up in landfill. It's pretty easy solution really, that will make a big impact.
Here's how it works...
GIVE BACK - Let us find a new home for your merch with a message in Aboriginal Community groups
If you’re finding yourself prioritising different conversations over others and you’ve got pieces of merch that you’re no longer grabbing out of your wardrobe to wear daily that are still in great condition – we’ve got a solution to give them a new home.
Send them back to us, or bring them into store, and we’ll sort them to be laundered and redistributed to Aboriginal Community organisations. Woo!
RECYCLE - let's give it another life!
Here’s how it goes…if your tee has been worn so hard it’s no longer wearable (think stained, ripped etc) bring it in store, or send it back to us, and we’ll sort it before sending it to one of our our fabulous clothing recycling partners, like our friends and neighbours at the Salvos.
From there it will be recycled and most likely end up being used for packaging, signage, homewares, rags, and more!
Being able to collect pieces at the absolute end of their life and recycle them to live on in another way is heaps better than it ending up in landfill!
Ready to Give Back or Recycle your conversation starter?
In store drop off : Look out for our collection box in store were you can pop in all your CTG clothes. From here, our team will work their magic for you.
Post back: Send your pieces in the post to Clothing The Gaps Recycle, 744 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056. Please pop a note in to let us know if you think your pieces are for recycle or to give back (re home).
Want to learn more? Here's a few good places to start
Read the Australian Fashion Council’s Clothing Data Report.
Check out the Australian Fashion Council's Seamless Clothing Stewardship Program
Watch the ABC's War on Waste, especially Episode 3 on Fashion
Rethink the way you shop and rehome goods by supporting legends like Green Collect
Aboriginal Community organisations - reach out at hello@clothingthegaps.com.au if you're in need if clothing donations.
We'd also love to hear your tips and tricks on reducing your waste, especially when it comes to clothing. Comment below :)
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